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Crete
is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean, its culture
and civilisation offer a unique atmosphere with mountains
and picturesque fishing villages, the two Venetian ports at
Hania and Rethimno. A beautiful and unpolluted island, it
is unspoiled for the main part from mass tourism. The island
is lush and green in the North West, wild and rugged in the
South which has superb unspoiled beaches and the climate is
warm and dry. 12c in winter at the lowest and up to 30c in
the summer, with more than 330 days of sunshine every year.
North and South are divided by two spectacular mountain ranges,
the Lefka Ori and Oros Idi, and they are snow capped from
early December to late May.
Many
people think that the East of Crete, the province of
Lassithi is touristic and spoilt because they might
only pass through the main road from the airport and
see villages like Hersonissos and Malia, however only
1km inland or seawards from the main road there are
many unspoiled Cretan villages where property prices
are still exceedingly low. |
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The coastline
soon after passing Agios Nikolaos is majestic and rocky slopes
go down to a sparkling blue sea interspersed with little sandy
coves. Sitia in the far East of the island has lots of gorgeous
sandy beaches, some of them completely deserted. The airport
has recently been extended making it more accessible but as
flight paths cannot cross the land in Crete there is no flight
path problem. The South East of Crete is also comparatively
quiet, with many splendid beaches.
The South
West of Crete is also very unspoiled but it is necessary to
reach there by winding roads through the mountains so that
a journey of only 35kms can take one hour, but it is worth
it for the breathtaking views of the beautifully clean sea.
On the
North West coast of Crete there are the two major towns of
Hania and Rethimno both having quaint, historic "old
towns" where there is plenty of night life and activity
and both have sandy beaches walking distance away. However
just a few kilometres from both towns it is possible to step
back in time very quickly and the whole of Crete is dotted
about with little villages) some of which seem untouched by
this or the last century.
The
capital of Crete, Hiraklion, should not be forgotten. It is
not a very pretty city but it does have interesting museums
and of course it is the jumping off point for Knossos - not
to be missed by any visitor to Crete.
Crete
is very fertile, producing its own very excellent wines, olives,
olive oil, honey, gorgeous organic vegetables, fruits and
yoghurts. Most Cretans live to a very old age because of the
healthy lifestyle and diet. The sea is unpolluted as there
is no industry there, it is mainly an agricultural island.
Getting
There
At the moment there are only direct flights to Crete from
the end of March until the end of October (plus some charters
during the Christmas period) and during the winter it is necessary
to change planes at either Athens or Amsterdam. However, Crete
is to be served by scheduled flights from the UK for the first
time next summer. British Airways franchise carrier GB Airways
is to fly to the Greek island twice a week with return fares
starting at £129.00. The Gatwick-Heraklion link is due
to start next May with flights on Tuesdays and Fridays. GB
will offer a two-class service to distinguish itself from
charter flights which currently provide the only non-stop
air links between the UK and Crete. Easyjet have daily day
flights from Luton airport and it is easy to pick up an internal
Athens to Crete flight when you get there or book in advance.
Although
the season officially finishes at the end of October, the
actual winter is very short, and many people still swim into
the middle of December. Night falls about 5.30 p.m. in the
middle of winter so there is still a lot more daylight than
in Northern Europe, and when the sun is out the weather can
be glorious in winter. Also the island is quite lively, friendly
and laid back out of season.
The Cost
of Living
Studies indicate that the cost of living in Crete is about
30% lower than Cyprus, while Cyprus is 30% lower than Spain
and Portugal. Over and above the lower cost of living, the
buyer will be amazed of how inexpensive prime real property
is in Crete.
The Landscape
There is diverse landscape and environment. Crete has lovely
beaches, majestic mountain peaks, some capped with snow until
early June, impressive gorges, hidden caves, ancient sites,
picturesque and literally untouched villages of character
and tradition.
The Climate
Winters are without hazardous road conditions, imagine no
freezing fog or black ice, and summers without rain, on average
there is 310 days of sun.
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